powerrabbit

Colin Perryman is usually there with his vast selection of new MF and other parts and he's good on prices! Farmer Ed should be there with his vast trailerload of models, he did a good trade last year. Plus all those handbooks, brochures DVD's and books, and don't forget the badges.

I don't know if they're all the same Bill but I notice that on the D.B. 950 that the left headlight on mine is slightly 'bent' back and the exhaust leans slightly to the right, authentic 'wear and tear' I would guess as it's not supposed to be a new tractor, just wondered if yours is the same Bill.

Don't forget tomorrow everyone. I will be going with a couple of mates in the afternoon.

I had 'A Tight Turn' from the Posthorn Bill, together with the 'Pulling Power' as a freebie and my loyalty card and account membership number so I'm geared up to purchase further studies from them in the future. They seem very helpful and accomodating at the Posthorn, nice firm to deal with and very freindly.

'Pulling Power' is a nice study but looking at it critically, I think that some of the lights on the tractor are wrong, probably retro replacements on the one used for the modelling, and the Bamford plough should really be yellow and the mouldboards are too steep an angle and in real life would drag through the ground and pull the furrows but hey, it was free so I'm certainly not complaining. I really reeeeeeeeeally like the study 'Turning On The Headland' bill and it looks like it's quite a huge study, will have to see what's in the pig.

Well Bill, I know that you will be well pleased with 'A Tight Turn', all that have seen the one I have have commented on how good it is and how accurate. I've seen the one with the horses ploughing, wish I could afford it but not at the moment, perhaps it will be offered at a good discounted price later on as a lot of previous studies seem to be at this time, I'll keep wishing. So many on the wish list but not enough money in the china pig!

Yesterday and today, myself, Brother and the thatcher have taken down the end chimney on Brothers side. Pictures will be put up on the thatching topic in a day or two. Damned hard work it was too!

Just came across this one if anyone has not seen it yet. This was a 'Society' piece I believe so harder to find and it's a good price at the moment. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BORDER-FINE-ARTS-LIKE-FATHER-LIKE-SON-DAVID-BROWN-MINT-/160447533927?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Collectables_Ornaments_RL&hash=item255b6b1367 Here's another. Good price and a nice chap to deal with, especially if you ring up and speak to him. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BORDER-FINE-ARTS-TATTIE-SPRAYING-DAVID-BROWN-TRACTOR-/220597942737?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Collectables_Ornaments_RL&hash=item335ca979d1

The programme in the series on thatching with Monty Don was in Norfolk and in that part of the country the method is somewhat different and would not come up to the standard of my thatcher, we were only talking about this t'other day. It's quite straight forward really and not rocket science but there is an art to it and getting the base coat and eaves right is the main thing and the ridge is about the most important part. Anyway, before I say too much about it I'll go off and start downloading some of the pictures for the topic I'll start on it.

Not that limited then at 4000 units. 800 or 1000 would be more the mark for that price. I'll have to see what I can get one for but I won't be paying that for it.

The bales alone would be around the 7.5 tonnes if they're 4 foot bales, which most are nowadays.

My Brother and I have got the thatcher in completeley re-thatching our houses, he's been here almost 2 weeks now and has reached ridge level on Brothers rear of roof. Today I've been up with the thatcher stripping the front from both houses. I've been taking some pics so I'll soon start posting them in a seperate topic as there will be a lot to put up.

I have been told that Mike Thorne's Ferguson open day at Coleridge near Crediton, Devon, this year is on Saturday 3rd July.

BFA are always open to suggestions and if you have or know of a good example to base a proposed study on you can always contact them.

To be quite honest Bill I'm not sure that posting any more pictures than what's been up already would do it anymore justice, the other side is just as good, nothing's been skimped. All I can add is that if anyone is thinking of buying one of these studies then do so sooner than later and take advantage of the offer of the free 'Pulling Power' which would otherwise cost you £190. (Posthorn price). You can't really go wrong.

My BFA 'A Tight Turn' and the freebie 'Pulling Power' was delivered this morning at 8.30 by Fedex, the Posthorn must have packed them up and sent off straight after calling me yesterday late afternoon, what a service! Came in a box so big that I had trouble getting it through the door. Packaging was good, nearly needed the angle grinder to open up the outer box and there must have been a bale of shredded cardboard inside for packing, it filled up a 25kg paper sack and then I had to get in and tread it down. The D.B. study is fantastic, much larger than it appears in the pictures and great deatail with superb accuracy in the modelling. The tractor is based on the early 950 of 1959. I can not level any criticism on this study. 'Pulling Power is another superb study and quite compact. If there is anything to criticise about this one it would be two things about the plough, based on a 3 furrow Bamfords or Kvernland Hidrain breakaway plough, it is the wrong colour being brown and not either yellow or red and green and the mouldboards are at too steep an angle, more like 45% and not 30% as they should be but other than that it's a great study.

I know Marky has a copy 'cause I gave him the details but last year there was a DVD included in one of the MF newsletters, 'The Red Line' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of MF. Anyone else managed to find one or was it just me? I only came across it by chance when I went to pick up a model that I ordred from the local dealer.

Recently aquired a nice rare brochure for the David Brown Albion disc plough dating to January 1957. 99 of these disc ploughs were exported and went to the African and Asian Countries as they were more suited to the soil types and conditions where the conventional mouldboard ploughs would not be suitable. The name Albion was incorporated in with David Brown when they aquired the Albion works in Leigh, Lancashire in the mid 1950's to manufacture their own bespoke machinery.

Know what you're saying Bill. Nothing better than being your own boss, but in the present climate it's debateable wheather to bite your lip and weather the storm or put up 2 fingers and walk. Trouble is, with bumholes like that it saps your confidence and respect for your supposed superiors who think they have you under their thumb and makes you think 'why bother' and your productive juices don't flow quite so well and your output (and input) tends to slacken off a bit. My Father always said 'you can never do too much for a good boss and never do enough for a bad one', very true I think and if the boss looks after his workers the workers will look after the boss.

A fighting man eh Bill? That's what I like to hear, I share your (non)sentiments, we could be twins! 'I'm paying so what I tell you to do, you'll do'. I can imagine you confronting a frightened little man and wagging your finger! I say, be afraid, be very afraid.

Bit naughty that Bill, courier company should not leave like that and should take a signature to accept and say that you received the item in good condition, perhaps you should have contacted the company and complained about the way it was left, I know I would have!

Reminds me of the time that my young cousin had a budgie, I sent him to the village shop to get half a pound of nanny goat seed to feed it with, off he went but the shop told him they didn't stock it so he came back with some Millet. Double result! But not as good as asking the young female assistant in the local hardware shop for a 'left-handed smoke grinder', she knew they didn't have one in stock and then spent half an hour looking through their suppliers catalogue.

Had a phone call from The Posthorn this morning saying that they now have in stock the D.B. 950 study 'A Tight Turn'. I asked if they were doing the 'free offer' study and was told yes and could either take the 10% discount or the offer of 'Pulling Power' free of charge. Well, priced at £165 I thought that the offer was a much better deal than the discount, in reality the free study equating to over a third of the price of 'A Tight Turn' even at its full price so I said 'yes please!' They are sending me number 24 of the D.B. study, I asked for a low number if possible, they will be here either tomorrow (Wednesday) or the next day.

There is always confusion over towing weights, a little off the topic I know but towing with non-agricultural vehicles is that the limit is 750kg for an un-braked trailer, 3.5tonnes for overrun brakes and 4tonnes for coupled brakes, these weights apply to combined weight of vehicle, trailer and load, what is now termed as 'maximum allowed mass'. (MAM). The towing regulations for agricultural tractors is different in that you don't have to take a seperate test to tow with a tractor but you are still restricted to the 3.5tonnes, trailer and load total weight, until you are 21. Lenghth and width restrictions also apply but this is another story.

Things have changed over the years concerning what you can and what you can't drive, when I took my test, car that is, I could drive anything up to and including a 7.5 tonner, pull trailers to 3.5 ton braked and 4 ton coupled brakes, motorcycle up to 250cc and a few other things and those of us that passed when these catagories were allowed on the one license still can. Now you have to take a seperate test for practically everything, Taking your test for a car still automatically qualifies you to drive a tractor, about the only catagory that has not changed, but you still can't pull a trailer over 3.5 Tonnes with a tractor untill you're 21.